First convocation of Anna University of Technology, Coimbatore held

Terming peace and stability as pre-requisites for the growth and development of a country, distinguished scientist and Chief Controller of Research and Development, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) W. Selvamurthy said this would be ensured only by comprehensive national security which included territorial integrity, internal security, economic and environmental security.

Speaking on ‘Emergence of India as a Technology Leader' at the first convocation of Anna University of Technology, Coimbatore, on Sunday, he said the DRDO had emerged as a strong research and development organisation with a mission of achieving self-reliance in defence technologies. It was working for transforming India as a “military and knowledge power.”

“We are a nuclear power. But we have a moratorium that we will never use it first. Besides developing the tacit knowledge to build weapon systems and technologies, DRDO has ensured proper technology absorption and production by industries. While striving to meet the cutting-edge weapons technology, it also provides ample spin-off benefits to society at large, thereby contributing to nation building,” Mr. Selvamurthy said.

With an annual budget outlay of Rs.10,000 crore, the DRDO was looking to spend one per cent of it on universities where it could garner futuristic technologies, he said. The passing out graduates should realise that they were living in a technologically powerful country that ensured homeland security, he added.

He called for an ecosystem where students had the freedom to create and innovate based on the needs of the country.

Vice-Chancellor of the university K. Karunakaran administered the oath to the graduates.